Linda and All: Concerning money for land purchases: Although I cannot prove it, I have read that when Virginia voided the land purchase from the Cherokees by Judge Henderson a lot of people lost the money they had paid for their farms because the land had not been surveyed properly..Daniel Boone took over $30,000 and went to Williamsburg to buy Virginia land Warrants..he stopped at an inn and set the satchell of money at the foot of the bed and when he awoke the next morning it was gone..he didn't come back to Kentucky for over a year....so they lost their money again...It has also been said that Boone never got clear title to any of his land claims in Ky..He ended up in Missouri where he died from eating too many sweet potatoes.. G. Lee Hearl...

All this 'chat' ultimately gets back to genealogy. I have on my husbands tree, a John Laughlin and wife Jane Matthews who came, (supposedly), from County Down before 1740. They had a daughter Margaret who married a Samuel Vance and lived at Abington. Grace, how do these Scotch-Irish connect to Abner Vance? I would think a death ballad would definitely have Celtic origin. Diana Williams

Hi Diana: Up to the 1920-30's that kind of music was prevalent. In Cabell County WV my grandfather had a tourist camp. One of the cabins, instead of being completed, was left in the platform stage. Every Saturday night the whole community gathered for a stompin' good time, and at that time there were still people in every family that either picked or "sawed" some kind of stringed instrument. I can't remember the percussion section as to what they used, but I know there was a good beat to the music. All these good times ended when the drinking crowd moved in and spoiled everything and the dancing and music had to cease. Ruth Hanley

Yep, my ggggggrpappy Daniel loved sweet potatoes BUT he was almost 86 years old (two months short). It just happened that he had eaten his favorite food while visiting son Nathan ..... I'm sure that they had prepared them as a "treat". He HAD been suffering from poor health and went to visit the family. (He normally made his home with daughter Jemima and her husband Flanders Callaway who lived nearby.) Just a coincidence that he suddenly took a turn for the worse! Barbara Gill, Director The Boone Society

In a message dated 3/20/99 3:44:35 AM !!!First Boot!!!, MDotson973@aol.com writes: << Abner Vance who lived on the upper Clinch from 1782-1819 is credited by the SWVA FOLKLORE SOCIETY as having composed the first song, still in existance, written west of the Blue Ridge. Sadly this was his death ballad written while he awaited execution for murder. He was hung at Abingdon and is said to have sung this song from the gallows just before he was executed. This song is known as The Vance Song and sometimes as Abner Vance's Death Ballad. Grace Dotson Historian, Vance Family Association >> would you share the words with us,please.

For two years straight I went to the Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley, CA to get a taste of back home. On the first occasion Bill Monroe was there. He had a presentation that is hard to describe, something I had never witnessed when listening to his records or the Grand Ole Opery. The same with the Wilburn Brothers. Emmy Lou Harris showed up just about every year. Yep, they feature the artist from back home, be it SW VA, TN or KY. The show on stage for three days running was great but to match it are the jam sessions that gathered at the camp ground at night. The groups were made up of attendees and each would go from one group to another and ask for permission to join in. The headliners would do the same. You can imagine the old back home comradeship that came from these groups, especially while being accompanied by Bill Monroe. I did see a little bottle passing but no dope or anyone getting out of hand. They have booths and the more interesting are those that sell hammered dulcimers by the craftsmen that make them. They do have a most wonderful sound. Hillbilly Music is one thing and Bluegrass is something else. People from all over the world attended these festivals. I just viewed some pages of upcoming Bluegrass Camping Festivals. They were all over, even New Yawrk. You can get some straight stuff at this site: http://www.healey.com.au/~mkear/monroe.htm

Not to contradict Mr. Hearl's knowledge of the background of bluegrass music, but being from KY, I always thought bluegrass music got it's start in the bluegrass state of Kentucky, with Bill Monroe being the father of bluegrass music and performing years ago at Renfro Valley, Mount Vernon, Ky. Many of our KY country music singers got their starts at Renfro Valley. I remember Renfro Valley Barn Dance from childhood. That would be 1930s, 40s (hated to have to say that)! My father-in-law sang there with a quartet in the 1940s. Renfro Valley is still a big attraction on Saturday nights. If any of you are familiar with "Carl Hurley", he will be appearing there about April 24. He calls himself the lecturing professor, and is from East Bernstadt, KY. He is very funny.

I must agree with some of the others, I feel blessed to be surrounded with Blue Grass music here in Abingdon. I recently began to play the banjo, and I learnt a few interesting points. The banjo has been traced back to its arrival in the US brought here by the slaves from Africa. Also the three finger style picking was introduced by Earl Scruggs, before him it was "Claw Hammer" style playing. Just thought someone might appreciate that information. Danny Freeman -----Original Message----- From: DIANA M WILLIAMS <DIANAINDALLAS@prodigy.net> To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com <SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, March 19, 1999 9:59 PM Subject: Re: Bluegrass music... >I have always felt very close to Bluegrass music, though it is completely >outside my youth or any real experience. My family left SW VA in 1810. Do >you know when Bluegrass music started? Would it's roots have been there >that early? > We are all so surrounded by music now. It is hard to imagine how >someone born on the New River in the 1770's and raised on the Clinch, would >have heard much music except on very rare occasions. > Diana Williams > > >==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== >#2 A large database of SURNAMES and the researcher's email address can be found at >http://www.fortunecity.com/millennium/quarrybank/194/swabc.htm >You may have your SURNAMES included by posting them and your address to the >LIST and NOT to the sysop/owner. > >

<<I have always felt very close to Bluegrass music, though it is completely outside my youth or any real experience. My family left SW VA in 1810. Do you know when Bluegrass music started? >> I have also felt there was something special about Bluegrass music. I hear it more with my soul than ears. It got is name from Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass boys. Bluegrass boys from the KY bluegrass. I think they started about 1929. It evolved out of hillbilly music. I was listen to a Bluegrass audio feed on Primestar and noticed how Irish the fiddle tune was. It is clearly Scot-Irish in sound and some have compared the high pitched banjo to the high sound of the bagpipes. I have followed it for 20 years and thought there was something special about the people who were attracted to it. I don't think music was so uncommon in the pioneer era. There was no radio, TV, stereo, etc. and singing and music was one of the few entertainments. Hoedowns, shingdigs, etc. would have been the only entertainment. It seems to be true that recorded/broadcast country music started in Bristol. The Carter's were from Scott Co. My father knew A.P. When my father went to D.C. with other farmers to meet with FDR's New Dealers to etablish the tobacco price support program, they played country music in the Old Williard hotel lobby. (I wonder if that made them 'lobbyist' )<g> Bluegrass is very special music and its birthplace is SW VA, E.KY with roots in Celtic culture. -eddie "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more."

I have enjoyed all of G. Lee Hearl's contributions, but the hickory nut lunch made me cry. I laughed so hard the tears rolled.

I have always felt very close to Bluegrass music, though it is completely outside my youth or any real experience. My family left SW VA in 1810. Do you know when Bluegrass music started? Would it's roots have been there that early? We are all so surrounded by music now. It is hard to imagine how someone born on the New River in the 1770's and raised on the Clinch, would have heard much music except on very rare occasions. Diana Williams

Eddie - Could a lot of this land purchase money come from inherited money of the 1st generation of settlers "back east"? A lot of my original settlers in Norfolk area had sons who moved away after they received their inheritance. Around early to mid 1700's and later, being the "2nd generation." Linda hindman_L@mediasoft.net

Bristol, TN-Va has been designated by Congress as the "Birthplace of Country Music". The Carter Family of Scott County, Va., Jimmy Rogers, The Stoneman Family of Fries, Va. and many others recorded in a make-shift studio in Bristol in 1927. During the past few days a country music museum opened in the Bristol Mall.. One of my "Cousins", Kelley Harrell, recorded the "Wreck of Ole' 97" a few years before the Bristol recording sessions. He was from Fries, Va... G. Lee Hearl Abingdon, Va... Carter and Ralph Stanley, Flatt and Scruggs, Mac Wiseman, Charlie Monroe and others performed on radio in Bristol during the forties and fifties.. G. Lee Hearl Abingdon, Va...

Remembering the shaped note singers reminded me of the practice of singing down the preacher. Anyone know what I'm talking about? As a child visiting aunts in the country I attended many old regular Baptist gatherings. These would last all day and a variety of preachers would take the stump. They would preach until they were exhausted or until the congregation sung him down. It was like he knew he was through, but couldn't quite wrap it up. At that point the congregation would start to sing and he could make a graceful exit. Many of these preachers used a sort of sing-song style of preaching. I remember so well one of them concluding by singing, "Sing me down, brothers!" Sue McN. "Shall we gather at the river"

A pole is equal to a rod or 16-1/2 feet. A rod is a lineal measurement of land which equals 16-1/2 feet or 5-1/2 yards. There is also a perch which is 5-1/2 yards or 16-1/2 feet. The book A TO ZAX also states perch is called rod or pole. <grin> Antoinette waughtel@oz.net "Bonnie J. Everhart.." wrote: > Eddie, > The only thought I have on the quantity > of money is - could at least a portion of > it been owed later instead of all at the time > of purchase. I have run into that in PA > in that time period. What I don't recall > seeing in PA deeds was a measure being > made by the "pole". Any idea how many > feet in a pole? Very interesting deed. > Thanks for sharing- this variety of subject > matter is what makes this sight so interesting!! > Bonnie in NC >

Abner Vance who lived on the upper Clinch from 1782-1819 is credited by the SWVA FOLKLORE SOCIETY as having composed the first song, still in existance, written west of the Blue Ridge. Sadly this was his death ballad written while he awaited execution for murder. He was hung at Abingdon and is said to have sung this song from the gallows just before he was executed. This song is known as The Vance Song and sometimes as Abner Vance's Death Ballad. Grace Dotson Historian, Vance Family Association

My grandfather, Robert Henderson Montgomery, was born in Washington County VA in 1871. His family moved to Greenup County KY and it was there he learned to sing. My grandmother said he learned he could sing by driving a team of oxen. I don't know how or where he learned Shaped Notes, but he became a Singing School teacher. He had a piece of oilcloth attached to a broom handle and on it was painted the staff and notes. Each note had a different shape and people learned to sing by recognizing the different shapes. He would ride horseback to different churches and conduct Singing Schools. I have a photograph of one of the schools. There were about fifty well-dressed folks in front of the church and Grandpa in the middle. I remember going to his church and listening to a quartet of my relatives singing the beautiful old hymns. Grandpa died five years before I was born, but when I went to this church with Granny I felt a connection with him. Sue McN.

Hi, Could anyone on this list please tell me where Harrison Twp. KY is location? Many Thanks

Dear Eddie and List, I, too, want to thank you for allowing the diversity of subjects on this list. I have unsubbed several others as this list meets all my needs. You are providing a forum for our cultural heritage. This is the WHO we are, WHAT we did, WHY it was the way it was. This is just as important as the WHERE and WHEN. Thanks to all the contributors who are sharing such wonderful stories and interesting facts. Somehow I feel we are all related. If not by blood, it must be through our common culture. I'm glad you are enjoying your new home. I came "back home" to NE KY seven years ago and found that the fellow who said "you can't go home again" must have been from some other part of the country. Sue McN.

Did any of you attend the World's Fair in Knoxville in the 80's? I was so impressed with the performances of what I supposed were the "cream of the crop" of the Bluegrass Music World. I had never been a fan of Bluegrass, and knew nothing about it, but I was overwhelmed by the performers who gave us a poignant and memorable history lesson on the music that originated in the hills and valleys of our ancestors. I was amazed at the things some of the groups used for instruments; washtubs, washboards, jugs, etc. I tried all these as a kid, but my efforts didn't sound like theirs! Also, some of the performers were in their 80's and 90's. It was a wonderful experience...Gloria D.